This week, the Senate has continued to make progress on federal appropriations legislation while lawmakers in the House explored skills-based hiring efforts underway across the country. Meanwhile, federal agencies have announced the availability of new grants aimed at supporting tribal education. 

Senate Appropriators Set Funding Framework

As previously shared, the legislative agreement Congress and President Biden reached in recent weeks, known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), extends the nation’s borrowing authority for the next two years. Of significance for the Career Technical Education (CTE) community, the FRA establishes new spending caps for that same period of time for federal fiscal years 2024 (FY24) and FY25. In a recent development last week, House Republicans announced their intention to move forward with individual spending bills that, taken together, provide much less funding for domestic programs, like the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V)*  than required by the FRA. This sets up a likely scenario where the House and Senate propose radically different funding levels for the upcoming federal fiscal year, set to formally begin on October 1, 2023.  

Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee, led by Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-ME), recently met to establish topline spending caps, known as 302(b)s, that align with the FRA. The committee considered these proposed 302(b) allocations yesterday and advanced them along party lines as Republicans on the panel remained concerned regarding funding levels for defense programs. Broadly the Senate’s 302(b) allocations are intended to provide roughly the same amount of funding for education and workforce development programs, like Perkins V, at current federal fiscal year 2023 (FY23) levels. In practical terms, however, the differences between the House and the Senate’s proposed visions for FY24 funding may prove challenging to reconcile as the October 1 deadline for FY24 draws nearer.

As these efforts continue to take shape, Advance CTE will be closely engaging with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to ensure that the significant funding needs of the CTE community are realized as part of the ongoing budget and appropriations process for FY24.

*As amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act

House Explores Skills-based Hiring

On Thursday, June 22, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing titled “Competencies Over Degrees: Transitioning to a Skills-based Economy.” The hearing focused on changes that could be made to reorient systems of education, workforce development, and employment to strengthen approaches and programs that provide skills needed for further economic opportunities and to better reward the attainment of these competencies in the labor market. The hearing also highlighted the issue of the “paper ceiling”–the issue of increasing numbers of workers being overlooked for jobs they would otherwise qualify for because they lack a four-year degree. 

Witnesses and lawmakers explored a wide array of issues in this context, including potential changes to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and federal apprenticeship legislation to facilitate this vision for the future. In addition, House CTE Caucus Co-chair Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) highlighted the need for further investment in CTE and noted that many programs in his district have waiting lists for learners– indicating that demand for CTE pathways is continuing to exceed current supply. An archived webcast of the hearing, including witness testimony, can be found here. 

ED Announces New Native Language Grants

Last week, The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced the availability of approximately $8 million in new funding intended to support several federal initiatives aimed at better supporting Indigenous learners. “Our efforts to Raise the Bar for multilingual learners includes strengthening and revitalizing Native languages and the recruitment, retention, and leadership of Native educators,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said as part of the announcement. The new grantmaking is aimed at three separate ED initiatives that together are aimed at increasing the capacity of Indigenous communities to serve learners, preserve Native languages, and promote educator recruitment and retention efforts through the nation. More information regarding these grants can be found here. 

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor